Multi-Vehicle Crash On I-287 In NJ Leaves 3 People, Some Cows Dead

BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Three people are dead and more than a dozen injured after a crash involving a car, a multi-passenger van and a pickup truck with a trailer carrying cows, state police said.

Police say the pickup’s driver was stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 287 to repair his trailer when it was struck by a passing car. That driver pulled over and got out before investigators say the van crashed into a guardrail and the stopped trailer, then fatally struck the car’s driver.

The car’s driver, 23-year-old Ravi Naik, of Hillsborough, was killed, officials said. Two passengers in the van also died. Their names have not been released.

Sixteen other people were taken to area hospitals. Some have serious injuries, but all are expected to survive, WCBS 880’s Marla Diamond reported.

Police said some cows died and others were transported from the scene.

The section of I-287 had been closed but reopened around 5:40 a.m.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Police said more information will be available later Sunday.